• Location: Walkersville, Maryland
• Type: Direct Hire
• Job #197

Vice President, Commercial Development
Location: Remote within the U.S. | Greater Washington, DC area preferred
Travel: 25–40%
Lead Commercial Growth for a First-of-Its-Kind Domestic Carbon Materials Company
An advanced materials venture is commercializing a proprietary process that converts U.S. coal into multiple high-value carbon materials, including synthetic graphite powder, graphite blocks, and graphene.
Graphite is foundational to batteries, defense, nuclear systems, advanced electronics, and a wide range of industrial applications. The United States, however, remains highly dependent on overseas supply. The company’s mission is to establish a domestic, cost-competitive source of graphite, graphene, and next-generation carbon materials.
This is a newly created, high-visibility role that will lead commercial development from the ground up. The company is seeking a leader with active relationships across both commercial and government markets, including industrial customers evaluating or purchasing graphite, graphene, engineered products, and other value-added carbon materials, along with federal stakeholders within the Department of Energy (DOE), Department of War (DoW), and related agencies who influence cost-sharing, appropriations, funding, and acquisition opportunities important to the company’s growth.

Reporting directly to the CEO and working closely with the CTO, the Vice President of Commercial Development will lead customer development, technical sales, pricing, contracting, and major supply and offtake agreements.
The position is weighted toward commercial execution. The government portion of the role will focus on expanding strategic relationships and opening doors for the company’s capture team.
Initially, this will be a hands-on, individual contributor position with significant executive visibility. As the company grows, this leader will define the commercial organization and recruit and lead a small commercial team.

Commercial Development and Sales

• Own the full sales cycle, from customer qualification and technical evaluation through pricing, contracting, and major supply or offtake agreements.
• Build a qualified pipeline across battery, defense, nuclear, industrial, and advanced electronics markets.
• Develop relationships with customers evaluating graphite, graphene, engineered products, and other value-added carbon solutions.
• Move materials into customer testing, evaluation, and qualification programs.
• Work closely with technical leadership to translate customer requirements into commercially viable product and material opportunities.
• Represent the company at industry conferences, customer meetings, and site visits.
• Serve as the primary commercial relationship owner following contract execution.

Government Programs

• Leverage existing relationships with DOE, DOW, and other relevant federal stakeholders to secure meetings and introductions for company leadership.
• Identify relevant cost-sharing, appropriations, and federal funding opportunities.
• Open strategic relationships that enable the capture team to pursue and execute federal opportunities.

Building the Commercial Function

• Establish the company’s commercial processes, pipeline reporting, account priorities, and deal-management practices.
• Provide the CEO with quantified pipeline reporting, deal-risk assessments, customer feedback, and market intelligence.
• Define the structure of the future commercial organization.
• Recruit and lead commercial sales and business development talent as the company scales.

• Build a qualified pipeline across the company’s priority commercial markets.
• Advance materials into customer testing and qualification programs.
• Establish pricing, contracting, and account-development processes.
• Lay the groundwork for initial supply and offtake agreements.
• Expand relationships with key federal stakeholders and create actionable opportunities for the capture team.
• Define the structure and hiring priorities for the future commercial team.

• Approximately 10 or more years of progressive commercial sales experience, including senior-level responsibility selling advanced or engineered materials, such as composites, specialty metals and alloys, technical ceramics, carbon and graphite materials, or battery and electronic materials, into aerospace and defense, space, battery, industrial markets, or nuclear.
• Demonstrated success closing commercial sales agreements valued at $10 million or more for advanced or engineered materials solutions brought to new customers or new markets. This is a core requirement. Experience securing offtake agreements is a plus.
• Experience commercializing emerging technologies or advanced materials where markets, applications, and customer relationships had to be developed from the ground up.
• Experience managing long, technically complex sales cycles involving material evaluation, qualification, pricing, and contracting.
• Comfort working in an early-stage, resource-constrained environment and moving between commercial strategy and hands-on deal execution.
• Clear, direct communication is supported by data, customer evidence, and measurable outcomes.
• Experience building or leading a small commercial team is preferred.
• Ability to travel 25–40% for customer visits, conferences, and visits to company offices or facilities.

Bachelor’s degree required.
A technical degree in materials science, chemistry, engineering, or a related discipline is preferred. Candidates with substantial commercial experience in advanced materials will be considered equally, regardless of technical academic concentration.

• Base salary: $200,000–$225,000
• Target annual incentive: $50,000, based on achievement of five weighted performance objectives established at hire
• Equity: eligible after one year of service, with four-year vesting
• Benefits: medical, dental, and vision insurance; 401(k); paid time off; company-paid short-term disability, long-term disability, and life insurance

Candidates must qualify as U.S. persons under applicable export-control regulations, including U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and other protected individuals. Visa sponsorship is not available.

Our client is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.